Barcode-free supermarket scanner recognizes different varieties of apple

A Japanese supermarket scanner is able to recognize subtle differences in produce without barcodes or manual data entry. Items are 'scanned' by being placed in front of a camera that can recognize patterns from a database, letting it ignore the clerk's hands or anything else that's not for sale. Its focus on color and patterning means that it's able to distinguish between extremely similar-looking produce varieties like Fuji and Jonagold apples. It's also able to recognize text, meaning it could be used to read coupons or scan packaged food. The scanner's creators are currently working on a comprehensive fruit database and fine-tuning the scanner so it can read items more easily.

Even with this new technology to replace barcode in supermarket i think barcode is still good in logistics as commonly they are in boxes of item rather it items itself - apple, orange, ....